Well, hello there! I see that you are curious about the inhabitants of the mysterious Black Rose Manor? I'd be happy to tell you a little about the place, but you'll have to keep the information to yourself. Understood? Excellent!
…Who am I? Oh, no need to concern yourself with the little details. I am only one of the many staff that works in the Manor.
As you can see, the Manor is a white, sprawling mansion that is quite large. Surrounding the building is the garden-and the rumors are true. The garden is constantly in bloom, especially the black roses that never wither or die. They may look rare and beautiful, however do be careful around them. Their thorns can be quite painful if you disturb them too much.
I see you are more curious about the actual people living in the Manor. I supposed I can tell you about the small 'family' that live within the wall. You have Master Alistair, the owner of the Manor. No one is entirely sure what he does for a living, but it does keep him away from home more times than not. He is quite the doting father to his daughter Charlotte, however-sending her gifts and letters by way of mail or…other means. His eyes are a piercing crimson, and two large dark wings sprout from his back, although they're usually folded up like a cloak.
Hm? What other means, you ask? Nothing too fancy, dear. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.
Oh, who is Charlotte? Miss Charlotte is the only child of Master Alistair and his late wife. She's quite the spoiled young lady, self-centered and very refined, wanting only the best of everything she receives. Don't get me wrong-she is not evil by any means. Her world is just very sheltered and she does have a short-temper if things do not go her way. She has gray hair that's usually put up into a long ponytail and then curled like a ringlet. The color of her eyes matches her hair, and she often wears similar gray-colored clothing. You'll always find a hairpin affixed to her hair, in the shape of a large black rose.
Finally, there is Gideon, who is Miss Charlotte's guardian-although if you ask me, he's more of her personal butler and servant from the way she orders him around. He's a quiet fellow-although he's not quite human. He's what you call a…well, the Master introduced him to us as a 'homunculus'. I'm not quite up on the specifics, but Gideon is not entirely human. A long scar runs between his face, as if they were two pieces sewn together. His left eye is an orange-red, while his right eye is a deep blue. His hair is normally up in a ponytail like fashion, with small strands of his hair hanging like curtains in front of his eyes.
He's a very loyal servant, however! Very competent in all he does and the staff relies upon him as heavily as do Master Alistair and Miss Charlotte. You'll find him by Miss Charlotte's side most times, catering to her wishes and whims.
Hmm. I haven't bored you yet? I'd be happy to share more stories! Perhaps we should start with the morning routine for our Miss Charlotte…
Miss Charlotte is a fairly heavy sleeper. It is quite the terror to try and wake her up-her temper is terrible if you try to disturb her beauty sleep. That's what happened to one poor lad that worked in the staff-she scared the youngster half to death when he tried to wake her up for her breakfast! Now he just tries to avoid her whenever possible.
Gideon is tasked with the job of waking Miss Charlotte-she's a bit more lenient with him, and he's just used to how she is.
Sometimes when I'm preparing the breakfast, I'll catch sight of Gideon moving to Miss Charlotte's door, dressed in his normal butler attire.
He'd knock lightly on her door, once, twice, thrice even-before a grumbling can be heard from the other side. Chuckling to himself, Gideon would push open the door and wake up Miss Charlotte.
I'd see them later, at breakfast. Miss Charlotte normally has somewhat of a scowl on her face as she slides into her normal seat. Gideon always stands by her side, ready to spring into action whenever the Miss required anything.
Many times, a conversation like the following would occur.
"Gideon!"
"What is it, Miss Charlotte?"
"What is this?!"
"Scones with berry jam, Miss Charlotte."
"Where is the clotted cream!"
"Right here, Miss Charlotte."
"I'm getting quite sick of scones, Gideon. Tell the staff to make something else!"
"Of course, Miss Charlotte. What did you have in mind?"
"…Something that isn't scones. Make sure it's something I like!"
"…Very well."
It's obvious the kind of respect Gideon holds for Miss Charlotte. At least she treats him better than the other servants that try to serve her-although it is not a huge surprise, knowing that they have been together for many years.
What a handful. I wonder if Gideon's patience really is infinite. I have yet to see him lose his temper or get upset even once! And I've been working in the Manor for many years!
…How dare you ask how long I've worked here! Don't you know better than to ask a woman her age?!
…Oh, well I suppose you were only being curious. I myself am not entirely sure how long Miss Charlotte has been residing here, but she does look very young for her supposed age.
Miss Charlotte is also a big fan of tea. She often has it several times a day-a morning tea, afternoon tea, and evening tea.
The morning tea is served about an hour after breakfast. Sometimes I'll catch the two of them outside in the garden, with Gideon pouring her tea as Miss Charlotte seems to be speaking to him. I've always been curious about what the two of them talk about.
I have to say, however. Miss Charlotte does look the happiest when the two of them spend time together over tea. You can see it in her eyes-whereas she normally is stubborn and tenacious, her gaze softens only slightly when she looks at him. I've ever seen her smile and laugh a few times in his presence, and it has only been Gideon who has managed to make the Miss have an expression outside of her normal sneer.
…What?! Gideon and Miss Charlotte having a…romantic relationship?! Don't be absurd! Miss Charlotte will most likely get engaged to a man proper for her standing. Gideon is simply a butler, and not even entirely human at that…
It would make for a love story to survive the ages, however. And don't tell anyone I told you this-definitely not Gideon himself-but it's easy to see how he feels for her. I've loved quite a bit back in my day. The way he looks at her is not only how a servant looks at their mistress-but more of the way a lover would look upon his loved one.
Does Miss Charlotte know, you ask? I don't believe so. She's not one to openly show her feelings either of course, although I'm surprised she hasn't felt anything different from Gideon's treatment. When an old biddy like me can tell something's up, it should be fairly obvious.
Ah well. I'm not one to insert myself into situations that clearly have nothing to do with me. I suppose we can only watch and see what happens…
For the rest of the day, Miss Charlotte is usually cooped up in the large library. There isn't much for her to do outside of reading or enjoying her tea-Master Alistair has forbidden her from leaving the Manor without his permission. Rumor has it that Miss Charlotte is able to perform powerful magic, although I have yet to see it with my own eyes.
But stranger things have happened before, and with all the mystery surrounding the place, it is of no surprise to me if it does turns out that Miss Charlotte is some sort of sorceress.
The rest of the day passes in a similar manner. Miss Charlotte takes her tea in the library or in her room, coming down to the dining room for dinner before retreating away.
There's really not much else I can tell you. Gideon is always serving the Miss, and the rest of us staff normally make sure the Manor is kept in a proper state of affairs. The rooms in the Manor seem to be endless, although I have yet to get completely lost in the mansion.
Who knows? Perhaps there is some kind of otherworldly power at play.
Hehe…You are correct, of course. I do know more than I tell you. But if I told you all the secrets, what fun would that be?
Sometimes, a little mystery is necessary to keep things interesting.
All was quiet in the Manor that morning.
The occasional bird that resided in the garden chirped happily, and the sun shone through the bushes of black roses that grew on the grounds.
It seemed like things were all calm and going well.
Until, of course…
"AHHHHH!" A bloodcurdling scream rang through the room as one enraged Charlotte-her fiery temper rearing it's head-nearly upturned her room in search for her missing locket.
"Miss Charlotte, please…" Gideon stood from the side as he tried to put things back into their correct places. "Perhaps you should calm-"
"If you have time to tell me to calm down, you have time to search for my locket!" Charlotte snapped back, her gray hair whipping around her as she turned to glare at her guardian slash butler.
Gideon sighed quietly as he bowed. "Yes, Miss Charlotte."
"Make sure the entire staff stops what they're doing until my locket is found!" Charlotte further added, slamming the drawer back into her dresser as she let out an annoyed huff. "Where could it be?!"
Her hand reached up to rest against the bare skin of her neck. A pain filled her briefly as she once again came to the realization that the locket she always had on her person was missing.
"A locket can't just walk away!" Her temper had died down somewhat, but the frustration was clear in her voice. "Gideon…where did it go?!"
Turning around from his fruitless search, Gideon had an apologetic look on his face. His dual colored eyes drooped slightly as he bowed. "I apologize, Miss Charlotte…I was unable to find anything."
"This can't be…" Sinking onto the bed, Charlotte pressed her face into her hands as she shook her head slowly. "Of all the things to lose…"
Gideon watched her quietly as his own body responded with the emotions that played across Charlotte's sorrowful face. His heart pounded with sadness as he struggled with his own composure.
Gideon hated seeing Charlotte unhappy-every pore in his humanoid body wanted to see her happy, to the best of his abilities. Feeling absolutely helpless only made him feel confused.
"Miss Charlotte…" Sinking to his knees, Gideon hesitantly reached out as he gently took Charlotte's hands, giving her a soft squeeze as she looked up in surprise. "I promise that I will keep looking until we find your locket. I promise."
In a rare moment of vulnerability, Charlotte's misty orbs wavered slightly before they narrowed once more. "Of course. It's your job, isn't it?" She responded, but the familiar sternness of her tone was slightly damped.
Gideon only smiled softly in response. "I aim to serve, Miss Charlotte."
The next few hours were tension filled as Gideon searched up and down the halls, ducking into the never-ending rooms as he came upon deserts, forests, and oceans.
He sighed to himself as another room didn't turn up anything, while he brushed off the snow that had gathered on his clothing.
"Where is it…" He asked himself, a hint of frustration in his voice. Miss Charlotte had been acting completely off after the locket was missing, her eyes vacant and she would often drift out of conversation. It was easy for anyone to see that the locket was invaluable to her.
Gideon ducked to the side of the hallway as black butterflies fluttered down the path.
Miss Charlotte had even resorted to her magic, sending her butterflies to search some of the rooms that he couldn't get to quickly. Leaving behind a trail of ashes in their path, they were magic as well-disappearing after a few minutes as if it had never been there in the first place.
Gideon continued down the hall, when he noticed the butterflies had gathered around a single door and were fluttering around it in a rapid fashion.
Furrowing his brows, Gideon walked forward as he gripped the doorknob. It didn't budge at all, and it was locked tightly.
Before he could even try to figure out how to get it unlocked, he heard someone coming up from behind him.
"Gideon!"
Gideon jumped to attention at the tone of Charlotte's voice, turning around as she marched up to him, a stern look in her eyes. "Yes, Miss Charlotte?"
"There's something about this door…" Reaching her hand forward, Charlotte's eyes burned with frustration. "Why won't this open?!"
Gideon reached out, laying one hand on her arm. "Miss Charlotte, perhaps you should-"
"Don't tell me to be calm, Gideon!" Her voice was raised. "Why is this not opening for me?!"
"Maybe there is a trick to it." Gideon tried to convince her, taking her hand. "Perhaps there was a reason why your magic led you here."
Staring at the door, Charlotte closed her eyes as she imagined the locket she was so desperately looking for. She felt her heart swelling with emotion as she remembered her cherished heirloom-the only thing that she had left of her mother.
Suddenly, Gideon gasped as he jerked Charlotte backwards. "Miss Charlotte!"
Opening her eyes at Gideon's exclamation, Charlotte opened her mouth to berate him for destroying her concentration before her monochrome eyes widened at what greeted her.
A large emblem had begun to shine on the door, and Charlotte recognized it.
"I-It's the same as the engraving on my mother's locket…" She whispered quietly, reaching out as she felt a strange need to touch it.
"Miss Charlotte! You probably shouldn't touch it!" Gideon tried to stop her, moving his body forward.
Shaking her head, Charlotte sent Gideon a withering look. "I'll be fine." Before he could move to pull her away, Charlotte had already pushed the palm of her hand on the shining mark.
A ball of light seemed to glitter as the door swung completely open, blinding the two momentarily.
"G-Gideon?!" Charlotte's voice shook with fear as she lost the sight of her most faithful companion.
"I'm right here, Miss Charlotte!" Feeling warmth gripping her hand, Charlotte felt the fear subside in her body as she walked forward; comforted by the fact that Gideon was by her side.
Her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings.
The desolation of the place was eerily…familiar for a reason she couldn't place. The ruins that stood in the distance cast an eerie glow over the place, and it made even Gideon feel shivers traveling up his spine.
What stood in the middle of it all suddenly caught Charlotte's attention.
It was her mother's locket…shining in a pool of dark, crimson blood.
Sighing as she looked up from the book in her lap, Charlotte frowned. The book she was currently reading was barely holding her attention, and…
Her eyes flittered the large window as she glanced down into the garden. It was a surprisingly nice day, and after the locket fiasco from a few days ago, Charlotte was dying for some fresh air and sunlight.
The mystery of the locket and why it had ended up in a room she had never been able to visit before still lingered in her mind, leading her to many hours of research in the library. But even with the vast and almost never ending collection, Charlotte was unable to find anything that alluded to the landscape she had been greeted to when searching for the her disappeared locket.
It was back in her possession, now. Safely secured around her neck with a newly fashioned clasp courtesy of Gideon, it was stronger and she was assured that it wouldn't break.
The pool of blood-or whatever the substance was-must have been magic…as the stain upon the locket soon faded as Gideon had reached forward to pick up the precious heirloom.
A headache started ringing through her ears as Charlotte groaned, closing her eyes as her fingers pressed against her temple.
"Miss Charlotte?!" Gideon's voice rang out as Charlotte gave herself a little sigh. She wasn't surprised that Gideon had suddenly appeared by her side. He was always able to detect when she was in distress, anyways…
"I'm fine, Gideon." She responded, lifting her head to meet Gideon's worried ones. The scar on his face seemed prominent as he stared at her with concern, his long dark hair hiding parts of his eyes. "Besides, I didn't even call for you…"
Bowing his head, Gideon's eyes wavered with conflict. "I apologize, Miss Charlotte. I felt that you were in some sort of pain, so I just…"
Waving away his excuse, Charlotte turned her head. "Well, I was going to call for you soon anyways. I want to go outside."
"Outside?" Gideon's eyes lighted with alarm as his figure grew stiff. "Miss Charlotte, I'm sure that Master Alistair wouldn't be-"
"Oh calm yourself, Gideon." Charlotte snapped. "I mean I want to go out into the garden. Have the chefs prepare a picnic or something."
Gideon visibly relaxed at Charlotte's words. "Of course, Miss Charlotte." He bowed as a bright smile stretched across his lips. "Do you have any preferences for what you would like for lunch?"
Charlotte only shrugged as she closed the book she was holding. "I trust that you know my preferences, Gideon. You are my butler, right?"
"I'm glad you trust me so much." He replied happily. "I'll be sure to have something that my Miss will enjoy."
"Then get to it already!"
Gideon smoothed out the blanket he had laid onto the grass, making sure that none of the scratchy green turf poked out along the blanket.
Holding out his hand, he led Charlotte onto the dark blanket, making sure she was fully sitting down before he left to retrieve the basket that contained her lunch.
"Here you are." Gideon smiled as he began to bring out the wrapped dishes in the basket. "Some sandwiches…a nice salad…fruit, and a pitcher of fresh rose ice tea."
Charlotte folded her skirts around her before tucking her legs underneath herself, looking over at the food. "I suppose that'll do." She sighed.
Reaching out for a sandwich, she brought up the small morsel to her mouth as she chewed thoughtfully. "Hmm…" Her eyes flickered to Gideon. "Did you make this, Gideon?"
Gideon nodded. "Yes, I did. I had some extra time, so…"
"…It's good." Charlotte remarked, although stopping when she saw the delighted look on his face. "…For a butler, that is." Charlotte corrected herself, turning back to her food with a light huff.
"I'm glad you like it, Miss Charlotte." Gideon only beamed as he stood beside her on the blanket, watching the multitude of black roses that surrounded their little pocket of green.
Charlotte continued to eat her sandwich, occasionally reaching out for a drink of the iced tea. The air outside was fresh, and she closed her eyes as she felt a light breeze caressing her shoulders.
The air was slightly colder than she had expected, causing a light shiver to travel through her body-before she felt something warm being draped over her shoulders.
"…Gideon?" She asked, turning around. The homunculus had placed a small, warm afghan over her shoulders.
"I thought it might get cold." He explained. "So, here you are." He patted her shoulder before straightening back up."
Charlotte only stared at him, before clutching the afghan tighter around her shoulders. "…I guess you are good at some things." She replied harshly, but Gideon's eyes shined at the way she replied. He knew that it was her own way of saying thanks, even if the words didn't seem that way.
Charlotte continued her picnic, occasionally glancing upwards at Gideon. Ever since he had worked tirelessly to help her find her locket again, it made her realize just how much she depended on him.
She didn't normally think much about other people…but with Gideon, it was different. Since her birth, Gideon had been by her side. It was as if he was a part of her body…
Charlotte let out a sigh. "Gideon, sit down."
"…Miss Charlotte?" Gideon looked at her with a confused look. "Is something the matter?"
"Just sit down!" Charlotte snapped, a bit of a blush along her cheeks.
Hesitating, but after Charlotte sent him another stern look, Gideon sank down as he awkwardly took a spot on the blanket.
"Eat with me." Charlotte pushed the sandwiches and fruit towards him.
"But, Miss Charlotte…A butler shouldn't-"
"Just eat!" Charlotte demanded. "It's not like I can finish it all by myself."
Truth be told, Charlotte just wanted to eat with him for once. Normally, Gideon never ate in front of her. She didn't even know if he technically even ate food.
Gideon nodded slowly as he reached out for a sandwich, his multicolored eyes flickering to hers as he watched for her reaction.
When she didn't try to stop him, Gideon took a bite into it, smiling. "It is good."
Charlotte snorted. "Of course it is. Or else I wouldn't even be eating it."
They two continued to eat in relative peace and silence, with Gideon occasionally glancing over at Charlotte who was sipping her tea quietly.
It was a comfortable silence.
Feeling a little bit drowsy, Charlotte closed her eyes as she sighed, the food beginning to make her sleepy as her eyes looked up in the bright sky. The blue contrasted with the darkness of the garden, making her long to explore the words outside.
"Gideon…Do you think there are gardens that have other colored roses out in the world?" She asked him out of the blue.
Gideon paused as he looked at her curiously. "…I do not know, Miss Charlotte." He replied. "But…I think there are."
Charlotte nodded as she closed her eyes. "…I wish I could see them." Her voice was childlike and soft, a yearning in her voice that could only be heard by Gideon.
Gideon moved closer to Charlotte as he touched her shoulder. "Are you sleepy, Miss Charlotte?" He asked her, concerned.
"…A little." She admitted. And before either of them could react, Charlotte had slowly lowered herself, her head laid across Gideon's lap as she wrapped the afghan around her upper body.
Gideon only froze at her unexpected movement, but there was a calm light in his eyes as he looked down at Charlotte's closed eyes, her hair falling out of it's curls and into her eyes. There was a delicateness to her features that was often hard to see.
Letting his hand rest on Charlotte's hair, Gideon smiled down at her as he whispered three words so softly that were lost to the air around them.
But when Charlotte's lips curled up into a small smile, perhaps she did hear them.
It was the oddest thing that morning.
Gideon dropped a plate.
Not that it was completely 100% against the rules for him to do so, but Gideon didn't simply drop things. Never having been clumsy ever before, the whole staff and Charlotte were in a tizzy as the plate went crashing to the floor from Gideon's hand, Gideon's widened eyes showing that he himself was unaware of what had caused his stroke of butterfingers as the food spilled out around him.
"I-I'm sorry!" He hurried to clean up the mess as Charlotte continued to stand in shock, her eyes watching as his arm seemed to twitch and move without his intentions.
The same thing started happening more and more frequently throughout the day-her clothes were folded haphazardly, not in the same crisp fashion that she was so used to seeing them.
Reports of Gideon slowing down or not moving nearly as fast as he did, or how he seemed to be lost in thought whenever anyone tried to talk to him.
"You simply have to work harder!" Was Charlotte's response to all that was occurring. Surely it was all just a fluke…
The same pattern continued on for the next few days, and Charlotte was beginning to realize the uncomfortable truth. Gideon was reaching the end of his lifespan.
Charlotte wasn't blind, nor was she stupid-she knew that Gideon's existence was not immortal, and that his life was finite. But, having had him around for so long…it was only now that Charlotte was starting to realize the gravity of the situation.
There could come a day where she'd be left alone…without Gideon by her side.
And the thought scared her, causing her to grow cold and hot tempered with Gideon whenever he tried to talk to her-it was as if she was subconsciously already working on pushing him away, so when he left…it wouldn't hurt as bad.
Now, she was curled up in her bed, her eyes tightly closed as she refused to acknowledge any of the staff that was knocking on the door. She didn't want to have to see Gideon, who was still smiling-how dare he smile?! Was he happy about leaving her?!
Another knock on the door.
"GO AWAY!"
It didn't stop whoever was at the door, however. Moving her hands up to her ears, Charlotte tried to ignore the sound as she tried to get herself to sleep.
But it was no use. The infuriating knocking continued, and Charlotte could do nothing to block out the sound.
"…FINE! COME IN!"
Charlotte didn't even have to turn around to be able to tell who it was that entered the room. There was only one person who would have dared to knock as he did anyways…
"Miss Charlotte. Are you not feeling well?"
"Go away, Gideon!" Charlotte shot out, refusing to look at him. "Go do whatever the Manor requires of you…"
Charlotte felt the bed dip slightly-Gideon must have sat down. A quiet sigh.
"Miss Charlotte…you know that my first and foremost duty at Black Rose Manor is to make sure that you are taken care of." He softly spoke to her. "And if you are not in a happy mood, then I have failed my task."
"…Why do you care?!" Charlotte suddenly replied. "You'll be leaving me anyways…just like mother…and just like father…"
Charlotte could feel tears prickling at the corner of her eyes, before a sudden movement onto her head made her blink.
Gideon had rested his hand on her head, and was patting her softly. The warmth comforted her, but it made the tears that prickled at the edge of her eyes only even more burning as they threatened to fall from her eyes.
"You're so selfish, Gideon…" She began, fury in the tone of her voice. "How dare you become my butler…my companion…only to leave me?!" She continued on. "Why didn't you just leave me alone in the first place?!"
Gideon only continued to stroke her hair as Charlotte felt the tears eventually rolling down her cheeks, staining into the pillow that was underneath her head.
"Miss Charlotte…look at me."
Charlotte stubbornly refused to turn her head.
Gideon sighed softly. "Charlotte."
Charlotte froze at the way he said her name without it's normal title, as she reluctantly turned her head. Gideon was staring down at her with a calm look, the blue and red of his eyes fading into warmth that was more reminiscent of the blue of a warm spring day and the red of a ripe apple.
"There will come a day when I will have to go." He began, his voice soft but serious. "But I promise you…For as long as you need me, I will be here, by your side. And nothing can take me away."
Charlotte only stared at him, her cheeks still shining with tears as she looked up at him.
Slowly, her hand moved as it rested on top of his hand that was resting on her hair. The same hand that had held hers when she had nightmares, the same hands that had always done her bidding.
Charlotte cleared her throat. "Then be prepared…I'll always make sure to need you. So you can't ever leave."
Her voice was still stubborn, still fighting against the reality.
But Gideon only smiled softly, his dark hair falling forward as he leaned his face downwards.
"I promise I will be here…Charlotte."
And he pressed a feather light kiss to her forehead.